REGINA, Saskatchewan–Some local citizens here continue to protest a CU’s plans for a new building here, with a group called “No Business in the Park” even performing an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax outside the Conexus Credit Union’s headquarters.
The CU’s CEO was made to be one of the characters in the play.
“The Lorax is a warning tale, highlighting the risk industry poses to the environment. The group’s performance of the play wasn’t about entertainment, but rather, about protesting the Conexus Credit Union’s move to cut down trees in Wascana Park to make way for a new head office,” reported CTV News.
More than 100 trees came down to make way for the head office. In return for the space, Conexus Credit Union made an $8-million donation to the University of Regina’s College Avenue Campus, CTV News said.
“I don’t often come out to protests. But in this case, I thought it was imperative that we take a stand and let corporations know that our park is not for sale,” Rob Humphries, who played Conexus Credit Union CEO Eric Dillon in the play, told CTV.
Ad CUToday.info has reported previously, the “No Business in the Park” group has opposed the Conexus CU’s plan since it was first announced.
‘They Have No Right’
“They have no right to be in the park,” Diane Strilaeff, who played the Lorax in the play, told the news outlet. “If we don’t stand up for situations like this, it’ll happen again and again.”
Conexus Credit Union told CTV it had no comment on the group’s production, but did say the new head office is on track to open in June of 2020.
“We're going to have start-ups in that space, and there will be a cafe for the public, and bike racks and community uses,” Eric Dillon was quoted as saying. “Just colliding our community to create a better credit union for sure, but also to enhance entrepreneurship in our community and enhance the arts with Darke Hall.”